System for feeding fuel



E. A. ROCKWELL SYSTEM FOR FEEDING FUEL March 28, 1939.

Original Filed March 3, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet l I INVENTOR Edward Afiockwall ATTO R N EY March 28, 1939. ROCKWELL 2,152,091

SYSTEM FOR FEEDING FUEL Original Filed March 3, 1950 4 Shee ts-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY March 28, 1939.

E. A. ROCKWELL SYSTEM FOR FEEDING FUEL Original Filed March 5, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 1 1mm v 198 Ill I L94 IIIIIIIIII1II @Z im.

INVENTOR Edward A .Rockwll ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 28, 1939 SYSTEM FOR FEEDING FUEL Edward A Rockwell, West Hartford, Conn.

Original applications March 3, 1930, Serial No. 432,743, renewed June 2, 1933, and October 16, 1933, Serial No. 693,742. Divided and this application January 17, 1936, Serial No. 59,628

12 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in fuel feeding systems for internal combustion engines and more particularly to systems in which troubles due to accumulation of liquid fuel in the intake manifold are. avoided and the fuel economy is maintained by preventing wastage of the excess liquid fuel which is delivered by the carbureter to the intake manifold.

This application is a divisional application of the applicants application upon Fuel feeding system, Ser. No. 432,743, the renewal of which Was filed June 2, 1933 and the original application filed March 3, 1930, now patent Number 2,031,282, also of the application upon Carbureter, Ser. No. 693,742, filed October 16, 1933.

It is well recognized that in general more power may be secured with down-draft carburetion than with up-draft carburetion but the use of downdraft carburetors in connection with internal combustion engines has disclosed certain difiiculties in operation. If the venturi or throat of the down-draft carbureter is proportioned for maximum power at high speeds, there is so little vacuum in the venturi at low speeds when the engine is started with wide open throttle that a greater quantity of fuel must be fed than isa'ctually utilized to give the desired mixture and, therefore, the excessliquid fuel accumulates in the lower part of the intake manifold and it has been customary to utilize a drip tube to spill out such excess liquid fuel. It is sometimes impossible to start the engine with a partially closed throttle since sufficient air is not taken in to form the fuel mixture to start the engine and r flooding of the manifold takes place, as the high vacuum prevents draining through the drip tube.

Furthermore, flooding of the intake manifold may occur ifthe vehicle is traveling at open throttle with a heavy load. It is highly desirable that some means be employed for preventing the wastage of the excess fuel which accumulates in the intake manifold. Because of the fuel wasted it has not been possible to use down-draft carbureters proportioned to give maximum power since, as the area at the throat of the carbureter is increased, more fuel is wasted on starting and while the engine is under load. I

It is a purpose of the present invention to provide a system in which the excess liquid fuel accumulated in the intake manifold is not wasted but is returned to the carbureter and preferably the return is accomplished by sucking the excess liquid fuel into the intake side of the pump which serves to deliver fuel from the supply tank to the carbureter.

It is further an object of the present invention to trap the excess liquid fuel into a float-controlled atmospheric chamber in which a float operates upon a rise of the liquid level to open an outlet valve and a second suction-operated valve is provided which normally prevents the flow of fuel from the supply tank into the float trap chamber should the vehicle be in such position that the supply tank produces a head of fuel on the outlet from the trap chamber. The suction valve is operated by the suction of the pump to permit the fuel to be drawn out of the trap chamber and delivered to the intake side of the pump.

It is further a purpose of the present invention to combine a system for preventing wastage of the excess liquid fuel with a system such as disclosed in my original applications whereby the opening through which the excess liquid fuel is passed from the intake manifold into the trap chamber also serves as the restricted vent for bleeding air into the pressure tube which connects the intake manifold to the back side of the pump diaphragm.

Further and additional objects will be more readily apparent from the full description given in connection with the attached drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a substantially diagrammatic illustration of an internal combustion engine having the present improvements applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken through the pump which serves to deliver fuel from the supply tank to the carbureter;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken through the float-controlled trap chamber and illustrating the manner in which the excess liquid fuel is delivered from the intake manifold to the trap chamber and from the trap chamber into the pipe line which leads to the intake of the pump;

- Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken through the venturi throat of the down-draft carbureter and illustrating the arrangement of the choke and throttle valves;

Fig. 5 is an assembly view showing a modified form of fuel trap;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the modified form of fuel trap;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section of a modification thereof; and 7 Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are vertical sections of different forms of construction showing cooling means located on the vapor inlet of the fuel trap.

In the drawings an internal combustion engine is diagrammatically illustrated at it, in Fig. 1, and has associated therewith an intake manifold l2 for delivery of the fuel mixture into the engine cylinders. According to the illustrated construction, a down-draft carbureter M is utilized'for feeding the fuel mixture downwardly into the intake manifold but it will be apparent that certain features of the invention may be applicable to systems in which an up-draft is utilized. A

fuel pump I6 is mounted on the engine casing and is mechanically driven from an engine cam shaft in a well-known manner. The fuel pump serves to suck fuel through a line I8 from a supply tank 26 and deliver the fuel through a pipe line 22 which leads to the carbureter It. The details of the carbureter are more fully described in my co-pending application Ser. No. 409,538, filed November 25, 1929, which has become Patent No. 1,996,590, dated April 2, 1935, but, by referring to Fig. 4, it will be understood that a vertical tube 24 is provided having at its upper end a choke valve 26 and at its lower end a throttle valve 28. A venturi 36 is provided at the mid-portion into which the fuel is directly delivered from the pipe line 22 through the central delivery orifice 32. A valve 34 closes the fuel conduit when the carbureter is inactive. Suction produced in the intake manifold during the starting of the engine will be communicated to a diaphragm 36 which will effectuate an opening of the valve 3% against the resistance of a spring 38. The valve 34 is further intended to be controlled by a lever 66 actuated by movement of the throttle when in idle position and the fuel is then supplied through an auxiliary inlet, which is not shown in the present disclosure, and when the throttle is open wide for starting purposes, the valve 3% is opened by movement of the lever ill in order to permit delivery of the fuel into the mixture chamber of the carbureter.

The construction of the fuel pump may be of any desirable form in which a substantially constant resilient pressure is maintained on the fuel delivered by the pump, and Fig. 2 illustrates a preferred construction in which a flexible pumping diaphragm 522 is positively moved in a suction direction by movement of a lever i lactuated from the engine cam shaft and is resiliently urged in a discharge direction to take a variable stroke by the action of a spring &6, enclosed in a chamber 48 on the back side of the pump diaphragm. The pumping chamber 58 is in communication with a fuel-receiving and trapping chamber 52 through a spring-pressed inlet valve 5d. The supply line I8 from the supply tank leads into the fuel-receiving chamber 52 through a centrally disposed intake 56. The delivery from the variable capacity pumping chamber 59 is through a spring-pressed discharge valve 53 into a chamber Gil from which the fuel is delivered through the pipe line 22. An air dome and vapor trap 52 is provided to maintain a uniform delivery from the pump. A pressure tube Ii i communicates with the intake manifold and the chamber it, on the back side of the pump diaphragm, as shown in Fig. 3, and serves to produce pressure variations in the chamber 48 corresponding to the changes in pressure in the intake manifold. A plug 66 is threaded into the pump casing and has a restricted orifice 68 for bleeding air into the chamber 48 and the tube 64 is generally provided with an additional air bleed adjacent to its connection to the intake manifold, as hereinafter referred to.

The apparatus for draining the fuel from the intake manifold is shown in detail in Fig. 3 in which the intake manifold is formed with a depressed trap chamber it which serves to collect the excess liquid fuel and a threaded plug I2 is secured to the intake manifold to form the bottom of the trap chamber. A secondary trap chamber I4 is provided for receiving the fuel from the manifold trap chamber lo and, in the disclosed construction, is attached to a T-shaped head I6 inserted in the pipe line I8 which leads to the intake for the pump. A valve seat member 80 is pressed into the upward extension of the T- shaped connection I6 and cooperates with a valve 82 controlled by movement of a float 84 having a stem 85. The valve seat member Bil further serves as a seat for an upwardly pressed check valve 88 maintained normally in closed position by a spring 96 which is positioned by a stem 92 carried by a removable threaded head 94. The top of the chamber I4 is flanged, as at 96, and has seated thereon a perforated strainer plate 98 and an additional cover H30 having a flange I02. The perforated strainer 98 serves to filter the air which is drawn into the intake manifold countercurrent to fuel delivered into the fuel-collecting chamber I4 and tends to keep dirt out of the liquid fuel which collects in the chamber I I. The outside cover I85 and the strainer plate 98 are secured to the chamber l t by means of bolt and nut connections IN. The cover I80 has openings I06 which permit atmospheric pressure to continuously act upon the fuel in the chamber IQ and permit air to be drawn into the manifold counter-current to the fuel delivered into the chamber M. A T-shaped union W8 is threaded at its upper end into the plug 72 and extends downwardly into the trap chamber 14 through a flanged opening H of the outer cover Hill and an opening in the strainer plate 98. The lower end of the connection I58 has a perforated cap I I2 secured thereto which forms a guide for the upper end of the float stem 86.

Thus the fuel from the manifold trap chamber 10 is delivered through openings I I i into a vertical passage I i6 formed in the union Hi8 and then passes through a restricted opening H8 therein from which the fuel is delivered through openings I26 formed in the cap H2 into a chamber I22 within the trap It. As the level of the fuel collected in the chamber I22 rises, the float valve 82 will be lifted from its seat and permit the fuel to pass in communication with the check valve 88 whereupon the suction produced in the pipe line I8 will serve to open the check valve 88 to cause the fuel collected in the chamber I22 to pass to the intake side of the pump together with the fuel from the supply tank. 7 The fuel will be sucked out from the trap chamber until the float valve again closes, and, it will be apparent that the provision of the float valve prevents air from being drawn into the pipe line I8 which would prevent priming of the pump. Further, the provision of the check valve 88 prevents fuel from being delivered into the trap chamber from the supply line H! should the vehicle be in such position that the supply tank produces a head of fuel in the passage which leads into the trap chamber from the pipe line I8.

The restricted opening H8 formed in the duct which delivers fuel from the manifold trap to the chamber 522 prevents excessive air from being drawn into the intake manifold under vacuum conditions which might disturb the mixture of fuel and air produced by the carbureter. Another function of the restricted opening I I 8 consists in the fact that the opening II 8 serves as an air bleed for the pressure tube which is also connected to the T-shaped union I38 by a threaded connection I24.

Referring to the assembly in Figs. and 6, there is shown an engine driven fuel pump I25. Above a discharge valve I26 therein there is mounted a vapor dome IZI. A tube I28, acting as the pump discharge, leads to a vapor trap I29 which is mounted on the side of the carbureter body by means of a threaded pipe extension I30, screwed into the boss. The tube I28 is fastened to the vapor trap I29 in any suitable way, the upper end of which terminates in an internal stand- A domed cap I32 is screwed into the trap I29, thus providing a trap chamber I33. A depending pipe I34 is fixed in the highest point of the cap I32 and extends downwardly in the chamber I33 to a point above the opening of the stand-pipe I3I. The inner pipe I34 connects through the top of the cap I32 to a tube I35, which leads to an opening I36 in a head member I31, forming the upper closure of a float trap chamber I38. See Figs. 5 and 6. An annular gasket I39 is clamped in sealing relation between the lower face of the head I31 and a bowl I40. The bowl I40 supports and holds in position a strainer I4I and a perforated dished member I42. A T I43 is fastened to the bottom of the bowl I40 and communicates through a tube I44 with the pump and through a second tube I45 with the main source of fuel supply. A plug I46 is screwed into the bottom of the T I43 to permit access thereto, and a compression spring I41, guided by an extension I58 on the plug I46, urges a valve disk I49 against a seat member I59 in the T I43. A needle I5I, seating in the member I58, carries a float I52, and is guided at its top by a hole in the dished member I42. Formed on the top of the fioat head I31 in a short pipe I53 terminating in a flange I55, against which there is an annular gasket I55 clamped between the flange I54 and an upper flange I56 on a tubular member I51, which is screwed into a hole in the bottom of an inlet manifold I58 directly below a fuel mixer I59 leading to the manifold I58. The bore of the short pipe 153 extends down into the head I38 forming a sump I60, in which there is a nozzle member I5! set in the head I31, projecting upwardly into the sump I60. The member I6I is formed with an annular groove I62 open at'the top and communicating at the bottom with the sump I69 through holes I63. A horizontal passage I64 leads from an adjustable air bleeder I65 to a bore I66 in the middle of the nozzle member I6I. The bottom of the bore I66 is made with a valve seat I61. A cage I68 in the head I31 supports a valve disk I89 adapted to cooperate with the seat I61 to form a downwardly opening check valve. A tube I10 leads from the inlet manifold I58 to the load-control chamber of the pump.

In Fig. '7, I have shown a modified form of the spill-over having a float trap head I1I provided with a bowl I12, a bottom T I13, a bottom plug I14 and pump and fuel source connecting tubes I15 and I 16, respectively, also a check valve spring I11, a-spring guide extension I18 on the plug I14 and a valve I19. A needle valve rod I89 carries a float I8 I, and is guided by a hole in a perforated dished member I82. A nozzle member I83 is provided with an annular groove I84 which communicates through radial holes I85 with a sump I86. There is also a strainer I89 and a gasket I88. An air bleeder valve I89 opens directly into a cavity I90 in the top of the bowl I12. A tube I9I, communicating with the cavity I99 through a fitting I92 is adapted to be connected to the load control chamber of a pump. The head I1I carries a riser I93 of substantial length, terminating in an upper flange I 94. A gasket I95, preferably of heat-insulating material, is clamped between I94 and a mating flange I96 of a tubular riser member I91. The tubular member I91 is screwed into or otherwise fastened to the inlet manifold I98 of an internal combustion engine directly below the carbureter, as shown in Fig. 5.

In the construction shown in Fig. 8, the riser extension of the float trap head, which will hereafter be referred to as the lower riser member, may be provided with radiating fins I99. In this figure the gasket I is clamped between flanges I94 and I96 by means of screws which are provided with sleeves 260 and washers 20I of heat insulating ,material.

As shown in Fig. 9, the lower riser member is without radiating fins, while fins 202 are provided on the tubular upper riser member.

Referring to Fig. 10, there may be provided a heat-insulating jacket 203 fastened around the lower riser member by means of a strap clamp 204.

As will be seen from the above, in the construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the excess condensed fuel from the manifold I58 accumulates in the bowl I38 together with any condensed vapors received from the carbureter supply line through the pipe I35 and is thence conveyed, when the check valve I49 is opened, by the pipe I 44 to the pump I25, controlled air being admitted to the trap I60 from the manifold by the regulatable air vent I65. The check valve I69 prevents the withdrawal of vapor upwardly from the bowl I38 into the manifold. As in the case of the construction shown in Fig. 3, here the float controlled valve I 5I and the check valve I49 operate in a manner similar to the valve 82 and the check valve 88. In the construction of the modification shown in Fig. 7, the construction operates in a manner similar to the construction in Figs. 5 and 6, except that here, instead of the vapor trap pipe I35 leading into the bowl there is a pipe I9I leading into the fuel bowl I12, which also has a controllable air vent I89, so as to communicate with the load controlled side of the diaphragm pump in the same way as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. In this instance there is also no check valve in the upper part of the bowl I 12, and which is alsosimi-' lar to this feature of the construction in Figs. 2 and 3. Figs. 8, 9 and 10 merely show amplified means for cooling the vapors in the fuel trap I86 by means of fins I99 or 20I and the heat insulating jacket 293 near the engine to prevent access of the heat to the fuel trap.

While I have described my invention above in detail I wish it to be understood that many changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the same.

I claim:

1. In a fuel feeding system for internal combustion engines, an intake manifold for supplying a fuel mixture to the engine, a carbureter for delivering a fuel mixture into said intake manifold, a supplemental float chamber, means for collecting excess liquid fuel in the intake manifold and delivering such fuel into the supplemental float chamber, an outlet from said float chamber, a float in said float chamber controlling the outlet from said chamber and a secondary suction-operated valve controlling the outlet from said float chamber.

2. In a fuel feeding system for internal combustion engines, an intake manifold for supplying the fuel mixture to the engine, a downdraft carbureter mounted on said intake manifold to deliver the fuel mixture downwardly into said -manifold, a source of fuel supply, mechanical pumping means operated by the engine for pumping fuel from said source of supply to said carburetor, means for controlling the action of th mechanical pumping means by the pressure in the intake manifold, vented means for collecting excess liquid fuel from the intake manifold and means for delivering such collected liquid fuel to the intake of said pumping means and air from the vent to the controlling means.

3. In a fuel feeding system for internal combustion engines, an intake manifold for supplying the fuel mixture to the engine, a carbureter delivering the fuel mixture downwardly into the intake manifold, a collecting pocket for excess liquid fuel associated with the intake manifold, an atmospheric chamber in communication with said collecting pocket through a restricted passage for receiving the collected liquid fuel, mechanical pumping means operated by the engine for delivering fuel from a source of supply to the carbureter, an intake supply line to said mechanical pumping means, a passage forming an outlet from said atmospheric chamber in communication with the intake supply line and a springpressed suction-operated valve controlling said connecting passage.

4. In combination with the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine, a fuel collecting chamber continuously open to atmospheric pressure at the top and having a float-controlled valve draw-off at the bottom and a continuously open drain leading from said intake manifold into said chamber whereby unvaporized liquid fuel may drain into saidchamber from said intake manifold counter-current to air drawn into said manifold through said drain.

5. In combination with the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine, a fuel collecting trap in said manifold for collecting unvaporized liquid fuel, a fuel collecting chamber outside of said manifold continuously open to atmospheric pressure at the top and having a float-controlled valve draw-off at the bottom, a continuously open drain leading from said trap into said chamber whereby unvaporized liquid fuel collected insaid trap is delivered to said chamber counter-current to air drawn into said manifold through said drain and means for drawing off the fuel from the chamber and returning it to the engine. 7

6. In combination with the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine, a fuel collecting trap in said manifold, a fuel collecting chamber outside of said manifold, an air filter enclosing the top of said chamber, acover secured to. said chamber above said filter and having openings therein allowing atmospheric pressure to continuously act upon the fuel in said chamber. and a drain tube leading from said trap through said cover and said filter into said chamber whereby unvaporized liquid fuel is delivered from said trap into said chamber counter-current to air drawn into said manifold through said drain tube.

'7. In combinationwith an internalcombustion engine, a carbureter, an intake manifold, a fuel pump for delivering fuel from a source of supply to said carbureter, said fuel pump having inlet and outlet check valves, a fuel collecting chamber below said intake manifold continuously open to atmospheric pressure, a drain leading from said intake manifold into said chamber whereby unvaporized liquid fuel may drain into said chamber, a connection from the bottom of said chamber to the inlet side of said pump and a spring-pressed check valve normally closing said connection and adapted to be opened by the suction of said pump to draw fuel from said collecting chamber into said pump for delivery back to said carbureter. 1

8. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a carbureter, an intake manifold, a pump for delivering fuel from a source of supply to said carbureter, a fuel collecting chamber positioned below said manifold and continuously open to atmospheric pressure, a drain leading from said manifold into said chamber for delivering unvaporized fuel from said manifold into said chamber, a second drain leading from the bottom of said chamber, a float-controlled valve in said chamber adapted to seat in one direction to close said second drain, a spring-pressed check valve adapted to seat in the opposite direction to close said second drain and a connection from beyond said spring-pressed check valve to the inlet side of said'pumpwhereby the suction of said pump will open said spring-pressed check valve to draw fuel from said chamber when said float-controlled valve is open. a

9. In combination with an internal combustion engine, an intake manifold, a downdraft carbureter for delivering the fuel mixture into said 7 manifold, a fuel collecting pocket in said intake manifold beneath said carbureter, a continuously open drain leading downwardly from said fuel collecting pocket, a fuel collecting chamber continuously open to atmospheric pressure into which fuel is delivered from said drain, a fuel pump for delivery of fuel from a source of supply to said carbureter, an inlet feed line leading from said source of supply to said pump and connected to the bottom of said fuel collecting chamber, a float-controlled valve in said chamber normally closed to prevent delivery of fuel from said chamber into said feed line and a normally seated check valve for preventing the delivery of fuel into said chamber from said feed line whereby when the float-controlled valve is open suction of the pump will open said check valve to draw fuel from said chamber and deliver the fuel back to said carbureter.

10. In a fuel feed system for internal combustion engines, an intake manifold, a carbureter for delivering fuel mixture into said manifold, a throttle valve for controlling the delivery of the fuel mixture from said carbureter into said manifold, a continuously open drain tube leading from said manifold on the engine side of said throttle, a diaphragm fuel pump for delivering fuel from a source of supply to said carbureter, a connection from said drain tube to the rear side of the diaphragm of said pump adapted to control the delivery of fuel by said pump by the pressure in said intake manifold and means for collecting the fuel delivered through said drain tube and returning the fuel to the pump for redelivery to the carbureter.

11. In combination, an internal combustion engine having a manifold, means to supply the engine manifold with air and fuel, a chamber connected to the manifold adapted to collect excess liquid fuel therefrom, a continuously open air port communicating therewith between the chamber and the manifold.

12. In combination, an internal combustion engine having a manifold, means to supply the engine manifold with air and fuel, a chamber connected to the manifold and adapted to collect excess liquid fuel therefrom, and a check valve located between the chamber and the manifold communicating therewith between the chamber and the manifold and adapted to prevent the withdrawal of vapor from the chamber into the manifold.

EDWARD A. ROCKWELL. 

